Tinho



(No Model 3 Shts-Sheet 1.

M. V. GOUTINHO.

IAEROSTAT.

Patented Mar. 17, 1896.

WITNESSES.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

M. V. OOU TINHO. AEROSTAT.

Patented-Ma n; 1896.

INVENTOH W/TNESSES:

(No Model.)-

' 3 Sheets-Sheet M. V. COUTINHO.

AEROSTAT.

Patented Mar. 17,1896.

INVENTOH A TTOHNEYS UNITED STATES-- PATENT OFFICE,

MANOEL VIANNA OOUTINHO, OF PARA, BRAZIL.

AERO STAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 556,621, dated March17, 1896. Application filed October 5,1894. Serial No. 624,969. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MANOEL VIANNA (Jou- TINHO, a citizen of Brazil,residing at Para, Brazil, have invented a new and Improved Aerostat, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in aerostats or air-ships; and theobject of my invention is to produce an apparatus of this kind which maybe successfully navigated in the air and which may be readily steeredand also easily manipulated so as to give any desired deflection fromthe horizontal; and a further object of my invention is to produce avery substantial and compact vessel which may be safely operated andwhich has side propellers arranged to assist in forcing the ship eitherupward, downward, forward or backward or to steer it to port orstarboard.

To these ends my invention consists of certain features of constructionand combina tions of parts, which will be hereinafter described andclaimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on the line 1 l of Fig. 2 of myimproved aerostat. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1and shows the shape of the car and the driving mechanism for it. Fig. 3is a detail side elevation of the car. Fig. 4 is a detail end view ofthe rudder, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the entire apparatus.

The aerostat is provided with a balloon 10, which when filled with gasis capable of supporting the weight of the whole apparatus. The balloonis of elongated form and is thickest at the middle, so that its reducedends facilitate progress in a forward or rearward direction. The balloonfurthermore is pointed or tapered upward and downward at its center, asshown, for the purpose of facilitating its upward and downward movement.Thus the balloon may be said to consist of two elongated bodies unitedat their bases, the latter being approximately horizontal. The balloonis provided with a longitudinal side flange 11, which is projectedforward at the bow, as shown at 12, so as to serve as a sort ofaeroplane, and at the rear end of the balloon is journaled, as shown at13, a rudder 14, which is crescent-shaped and is strengthened by a 5 5cross-brace 15, which is also journaled on the essentially-horizontalpivot-shaft 16 of the rudder. The rudder is provided with side arms 17projecting from opposite sides, and

to these are secured cords 18 which extend down to the car 20 beneath,and by manipulating these cords the rudder may be oscillated and made tosteer the balloon in a spiral manner.

The car 20 comprises a frame 19, which is 6 5 of a general diamondshape, so that it may pass readily through the air, and a suitablenetting to cover the frame. The car may, however, be made of anysuitable material, and it is suspended from the balloon by cords 7o 21which are attached to the car and also to the balloon at the center andends of the latter.

In the center of the balloon 10 is a conical sleeve 22, from which issuspended a chain 23, and to this are secured the upper ends of thehalyards 24, which extend downward to rings 25 at the bow and stern ofthe car, and the halyards carry sails 26 which run on them in theordinary way, the sails being at their inner ends fastened to rings 27,as shown in Fig. 1; but it will be understood that the sails mayberigged in the ordinary way without affectin g the principle of theinvention. These sails are adapted to be spread when the wind favors toassist in propelling the aerostat.

The car supports a transverse shaft 28 which is j ournaled insuitablebearin gs and projects outward from opposite sides of the car,this shaft being connected by beveled gears 29 and 30 with thedriving-shaft 31 which extends o longitudinally of the car turning insuitable bearings, and it projects from the stern and carries apropeller 32. The driving-shaft 31 is the armature-shaft of an electricmotor which serves to drive the machine; but any other suitable motormay be substituted for it. \Vhere an electric motor is used, primary orstorage batteries are employed to drive it, and these may be disposed inany convenient way in the car, or the car may be made with a hollowbottom to provide for storing the battery.

0n the end portions of the counter-shaft 28 are swinging brackets 31which extend at right angles to the shaft, and these brackets carryshafts which connect with the shaft 28 bybeveled pinions 3G and 37, andthe shafts 35 carry at their outer ends propellers 38. The brackets 3-1,together with the shafts which they carry, are adapted to rotate on theshaft 28, so as to bring the propellers 38 to any desired angle inrelation to the car, and to enable the brackets and side propellers tobe conveniently adjusted the brackets are provided with worm-wheels 39,which gear to worm-shaf ts 40 which are arranged vertically in brackets41 on the sides of the car, the said worm-shafts being provided withhand-wheels 42, and by turning these shafts the brackets may be adjustedso as to hold them at the desired angle.

The air-sack of the balloon 10 is connected by an inflating-tube 43,which is controlled by a valve ll, with a gas-receptacle 45 on the underside of the car, and by opening the valve the supply of gas in theballoon may be replenished.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the aerostat isself-sustaining and that it is adapted to be propelled forward by meansof the sails and by the propeller 32, while the side propellers 3S hangin a vertical position from the shaft 28 and, rotating, the saidpropellers have a tendency to lift the aerostat vertically in the air.By moving the brackcts 3a and shafts 35 into a position parallel thepropellers 38 may be with the shaft utilized to assist in driving theaerostat forward, or by turning the propellers 38 into a position abovethe shaft they may assist in drawing down the aerostat, and by throwingone forward and the other backward they may be used in steering themachine to port or starboard, as the case may be.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. An aerostat comprising a balloon having thelongitudinal side flange projected forward around the bow and serving asan aeroplane, the upper and lowerbody portions, each having its edgeconforming to the contour of the side flanges and secured thereto andforming substantially two conical sections, the sleeve extendedvertically in the central portion of the balloon,and a flexibleconnection in said sleeve to engage halyards, substantially asspecified.

2. The combination, with the balloon and the car suspended therefrom, ofa sleeve arranged in the center of the balloon, a chain suspended fromthe upper end of the sleeve, and halyards extending from the lower endof the chain to the bow and stern of the car, said halyards beingadapted to carry sails, sub stantially as described.

MANOEL VIANNA COUTINIIO.

Vitnesses O. SEDGWICK, A. M. MoLIUX.

